:00:25. > :00:28.Welcome to am.pm. It's a morning and early afternoon full of
:00:28. > :00:31.questions today. Shortly we'll be going off to Westminster for Welsh
:00:31. > :00:34.questions and questions to the Prime Minister. But you might get
:00:34. > :00:39.some answers as well. I'm sure MPs will be raising tomorrow's public
:00:39. > :00:45.sector strikes over pensions. The First Minister Carwyn Jones was
:00:45. > :00:49.asked about it at Questions yesterday.
:00:49. > :00:54.I can say that ministers will not be crossing picket lines. They will
:00:54. > :00:59.be working on Thursday of course, subject that condition. We have
:00:59. > :01:03.great concerns about what is being done, particularly to pension
:01:03. > :01:07.schemes for public sector workers. We'll be meeting a delegation of
:01:07. > :01:11.officials from three of the unions and of course it is important that
:01:11. > :01:15.a strong message is sent, this is not a dispute that the Welsh
:01:15. > :01:19.government and of course it shows that the Conservative Party and the
:01:19. > :01:22.Lib Dems in government in London are less concerned about the public
:01:22. > :01:28.sector workers and there should be. My two studio guests today are the
:01:28. > :01:31.Labour AM, David Rees and conservative, Mark Isherwood.
:01:31. > :01:35.Carwyn Jones saying they are that ministers want to be crossing
:01:35. > :01:39.picket lines tomorrow, what about the rest of you? I won't be
:01:39. > :01:43.crossing picket lines tomorrow, I'll be doing constituency work.
:01:43. > :01:49.How important is it that you don't cross picket lines, that you
:01:49. > :01:54.support the strike? I am supporting the workers on strike. They don't
:01:54. > :01:59.believe it is appropriate that we should cross picket lines. Being a
:01:59. > :02:02.teacher, I understand the issues they are facing a and it is
:02:02. > :02:08.deplorable that they are forced into the situation by the
:02:08. > :02:11.government. Nobody in education it wants to take this action but they
:02:11. > :02:18.now feel this is a situation where they have to do something. You have
:02:18. > :02:25.one of these pensions that people are striking to defend? Yes. How do
:02:25. > :02:31.you feel about it on that score? would probably have been on strike
:02:31. > :02:34.over the issue because the current government is imposing the current
:02:34. > :02:43.situation and Danny Alexander has the ciggie said that no matter what
:02:43. > :02:46.negotiations are going on, he can override them. Your party has said
:02:46. > :02:51.that he will be turning up for work tomorrow, does that mean crossing
:02:51. > :02:55.picket lines? We are not choosing to cross the picket line but if
:02:55. > :02:59.there is a picket line in the way, we need to do our jobs and get into
:02:59. > :03:04.our offices and we may be forced to do that. We're here to represent
:03:04. > :03:08.all the people in our constituencies. I have a huge
:03:08. > :03:11.amount of work and need to get through tomorrow and I also have
:03:11. > :03:15.meetings judge ruled that people who have taken the time and effort
:03:15. > :03:22.to come into the Senate and made me so I have to represent everybody
:03:22. > :03:28.and not just one or other interests. We heard Carwyn Jones earlier and
:03:28. > :03:32.David Rhys saying the government is as far as well for this. How do you
:03:32. > :03:36.respond to that? I think the UK government is taking the action
:03:36. > :03:40.which the previous government should have taken and didn't, they
:03:40. > :03:45.kicked it into the long grass and left it to others to sort out. Not
:03:45. > :03:55.only is there a general situation of deficit-reduction required, as
:03:55. > :03:58.we are told internationally by the IMF, amongst others. The only
:03:58. > :04:02.question for politicians is to discuss how they would do it
:04:02. > :04:11.differently. The other issue with this is that than fully, people are
:04:11. > :04:16.living longer, the schemes are not self-funding, the Office for Budget
:04:16. > :04:21.Responsibility says by 2014 the tax payer will have to pay �9 billion
:04:21. > :04:29.into these funds and at the same time, the last figures said that
:04:29. > :04:33.94% of people in public sector pension schemes but only 11% of
:04:33. > :04:36.people in private sector schemes. It is a question of fairness and
:04:36. > :04:41.justice - should those people be for going those benefits but having
:04:41. > :04:46.to pay extra so that others can have the benefits. I am sure we
:04:46. > :04:56.will hear much more about this. Let's cross now to Westminster and
:04:56. > :04:59.
:04:59. > :05:02.I have discussed the issue with the First Minister and will continue to
:05:02. > :05:08.have discussions with relevant colleagues and of course the First
:05:08. > :05:10.Minister. The secretary of state will know that the Northern Ireland
:05:10. > :05:15.Executive can borrow money, the Scottish government will soon be
:05:15. > :05:20.able to borrow money but the Welsh government cannot. With the cutback
:05:20. > :05:23.in capital spending on schools and in hospitals, isn't it now time for
:05:23. > :05:26.the secretary of state to enter into immediate negotiations with
:05:26. > :05:31.the Welsh government and First Minister so that there was
:05:31. > :05:36.government can also borrow money? thank the Right Honourable
:05:36. > :05:40.Gentleman for that question and he has effectively asked why it is
:05:40. > :05:43.Wales the only home nation without borrowing powers. I think it is
:05:43. > :05:49.fair to say to him that the new borrowing powers for Scottish
:05:49. > :05:52.ministers which were set out in the Scotland Bill will not take effect
:05:52. > :05:56.until 2015 which is in line with our commitment not to change the
:05:56. > :05:59.system until civilisation of the public finances. Can I make it
:06:00. > :06:06.clear that we are not willing borrowing powers for the loss
:06:06. > :06:10.government in or out at this stage. The recent Labour government have
:06:10. > :06:13.already well demonstrated their enthusiasm for taxing and borrowing,
:06:13. > :06:22.does she think it would be wise to allow the Welsh government to
:06:22. > :06:32.follow this example in Wales? grateful to my Honourable Friend
:06:32. > :06:34.
:06:34. > :06:39.for that question. Despite the last... At No, I am grateful for
:06:39. > :06:43.that question. However, I cannot be drawn on this, I have to say that I
:06:43. > :06:46.answered straightforwardly that we are not ruling it in or out at this
:06:46. > :06:49.stage and I do wonder have this discussion of with the First
:06:49. > :06:55.Minister and with other colleagues for the simple reason that I think
:06:55. > :06:59.there are many commentators, including the first ministers, that
:06:59. > :07:04.is unsure of exactly what the Welsh government would like to have. I
:07:04. > :07:08.think it is right that we try to reach consensus on this and move
:07:08. > :07:15.forward. This is far too important a matter to either be rushed or
:07:15. > :07:22.dealt with in a cavalier fashion. Very important as borrowing powers
:07:22. > :07:25.are, with the Right Honourable Lady assure the House that the remit of
:07:25. > :07:33.this commission will be far broader than matters financial, given the
:07:33. > :07:40.excellent work already carried out by the Commission? I am committed
:07:40. > :07:43.to establishing a process for the Assembly which are similar to
:07:43. > :07:49.commission and I made it clear that we intend to review the financing
:07:49. > :07:54.arrangements for Welsh devolution. But again, I think this matter is
:07:54. > :07:59.far too important to Wales and far too important a subject matter to
:07:59. > :08:03.either be rushed or not to be discussed fully. We're hoping to
:08:03. > :08:07.make an announcement on this but I am seeing the First Minister on
:08:07. > :08:12.Monday for example and I will be taking forward our discussions
:08:12. > :08:18.jointly together at that stage I don't want to pre-empt those by
:08:19. > :08:23.setting any parameters. No doubt the Right Honourable Lady would not
:08:23. > :08:27.wish to pre-empt any decision but can I suggest to her there for that
:08:27. > :08:31.in a co-operative manner, that matters administrative and
:08:31. > :08:35.constitution should be considered and I am thinking for example of
:08:35. > :08:42.evolving police and justice powers to Wales. There is a huge amount of
:08:42. > :08:48.support for it right whales and vitally, on the issue of
:08:48. > :08:58.broadcasting in Wales, it is high time that Wales had control of its
:08:58. > :08:59.
:08:59. > :09:03.own broadcasting. S4C would not be in this position if it had. I think
:09:03. > :09:08.the Honourable Gentleman, the Right Honourable Gentleman is trying to
:09:08. > :09:13.lay out his own party's position but that is not the way in which we
:09:13. > :09:19.wish to take matters order at the moment. I know how important S4C is
:09:19. > :09:24.to the Welsh-language and to the Welsh culture. S4C, we have reached
:09:24. > :09:27.an agreement on S4C and can I give him this assurance that I will
:09:27. > :09:37.always look to the interests of S4C because I know how important a part
:09:37. > :09:43.it is of Wales's culture. My Right Honourable Friend had discussions
:09:43. > :09:47.about a range of issues. She has received no formal request on the
:09:47. > :09:54.specific issue of devolving planning decisions for electricity
:09:54. > :09:56.projects with the generating capacity greater than 15 megawatts.
:09:56. > :10:00.May be on those discussions on Monday, this is something that
:10:00. > :10:03.could be discussed. With the minister acknowledged the concern
:10:03. > :10:07.expressed by the First Minister and people from all parties and
:10:07. > :10:09.especially campaigners against large-scale wind turbine
:10:09. > :10:15.developments who feel it would be completely in line with the
:10:15. > :10:21.devolution settlement to transfer this power so that decisions about
:10:21. > :10:25.large energy projects in Wales by a Welsh ministers. There is
:10:25. > :10:29.considerable concern in the North and Mid Wales about large-scale
:10:29. > :10:34.energy developments but I have to be clear and tell the Honourable
:10:34. > :10:38.Gentleman that there are no plans to devolve such confidence to the
:10:38. > :10:42.Welsh Assembly government. That's also be clear, the big problem in
:10:42. > :10:47.mid-Wales is not about competence for energy can sense the size with
:10:47. > :10:52.Westminster but that the Assembly government's own policy in the form
:10:52. > :10:58.of tan it has a strong consumption in certain areas. That is the
:10:58. > :11:02.difficulty and it lies with the Welsh Assembly government to amend.
:11:02. > :11:07.For successful airship projects to go ahead in Wales, we need proper
:11:07. > :11:12.infrastructure. The First Minister and local government wanted the
:11:12. > :11:17.same deal for or ports development as England has. This is a reserve
:11:18. > :11:26.matter, will they stand up for Wales? As the Honourable Gentleman
:11:26. > :11:30.knows full well, the Welsh government decided not to implement
:11:30. > :11:40.and I would suggest it has a strong word with his friend, the First
:11:40. > :11:43.
:11:43. > :11:48.Minister, and played with him to divert money to that cause.
:11:48. > :11:55.I had initial discussions on the day of the budget about enterprise
:11:55. > :11:59.zones in England. I have made it clear to work with establishing
:11:59. > :12:04.zones. I am delighted that they will benefit from enterprise zones
:12:04. > :12:09.and they will provide much needed this to business and make wills
:12:09. > :12:14.more attractive to inward investments. Carrive by the
:12:14. > :12:18.Secretary of State for her answer which is more welcome. We have
:12:18. > :12:26.identified a junction in my constituency that is an area, an
:12:26. > :12:29.enterprise zone which has potential for growth. All we need to see his
:12:29. > :12:35.corporation between Westminster and the Assembly to make sure that
:12:35. > :12:39.happens. I agree entirely with by Honourable friend who is a great
:12:39. > :12:45.champion and has mentioned this to me before. I would welcome meetings
:12:45. > :12:48.with any Welsh Members of Parliament who believe in their
:12:48. > :12:52.constituency would be an ideal location for an enterprise zone and
:12:52. > :12:58.I have already met with some who wished to make those presentations
:12:58. > :13:02.but I would encourage him to make contact with the business Welsh
:13:02. > :13:08.minister in the Welsh Assembly. I think we were all surprised and
:13:08. > :13:12.disappointed, Mr Speaker, that she is not yet able to agree to appear
:13:12. > :13:17.before the Welsh Affairs Select Committee. I would encourage her to
:13:17. > :13:22.rethink that but also in the spirit of co-operation, work together with
:13:22. > :13:29.the Welsh Office because it is in the interest of and was with us.
:13:29. > :13:35.am surprised at the slow progress today, we must speed up. In the
:13:35. > :13:38.discussions with the First Minister, does she accept that whatever we do
:13:38. > :13:43.on the ground in Wales and what ever stimulus the Welsh Assembly
:13:43. > :13:46.can provide, we still need a proper stimulus from her colleagues in the
:13:46. > :13:51.Cabinet here and what discussions has she had with her colleagues in
:13:51. > :14:01.the Treasury about making sure that growth does happen for?
:14:01. > :14:05.Honourable Lady makes a very good point and that is exactly why, Mr
:14:05. > :14:10.Speaker, following the Budget, there was an increased provision
:14:10. > :14:13.for the Welsh Assembly government of �65 million and just to correct
:14:13. > :14:21.any figures that have been bandied around, I have checked that the
:14:21. > :14:24.Treasury, �10 million of that amount was Barnett consequential as
:14:24. > :14:29.for Enterprise Zone expenditure and � 20 million was for small
:14:29. > :14:36.businesses. I am sure with �30 million, the Welsh Assembly
:14:36. > :14:40.government will be able to do something. Since the sad demise of
:14:40. > :14:44.the development for Wales, there has been no support for
:14:44. > :14:48.manufacturing in Wales. Will the Secretary of State declare that
:14:48. > :14:54.rural Wales will not be ruled out when consideration for enterprise
:14:54. > :14:58.zones is made? The Honourable Gentleman is asking me to set
:14:58. > :15:03.outside my brief, Mr Speaker, because I don't have responsibility
:15:03. > :15:06.for the enterprise zones within wheels but I am sure that the Welsh
:15:06. > :15:09.government minister responsible for business it will have heard what he
:15:09. > :15:19.said and I would encourage them to engage with her to discuss what
:15:19. > :15:25.
:15:25. > :15:31.A potential problem with enterprise zones. What steps to you think can
:15:31. > :15:37.be taken to avoid this unwelcome outcome? I would be concerned about
:15:37. > :15:44.the position of enterprise zones. Not least because we have announced
:15:44. > :15:47.they will be enterprise zones in Merseyside and Bristol. I am
:15:47. > :15:54.concerned about those enterprise zones on the English side of the
:15:54. > :15:58.border affecting enterprise in Wales. And we have to work together
:15:58. > :16:03.and it is important that we establish mechanisms that do not
:16:03. > :16:11.allowed those enterprise zones are to take business out of Wales.
:16:11. > :16:16.Question number four. The bill legislates for the biggest change
:16:16. > :16:26.to the welfare system in 60 years. We are creating a new system that
:16:26. > :16:32.will make work pay. This week, the Royal National this edition for the
:16:32. > :16:42.Blind claimed the welfare cuts were not fair. When is the Government
:16:42. > :16:43.
:16:43. > :16:53.going to stop and start taking responsibility for their own
:16:53. > :16:56.
:16:56. > :17:00.decisions. The government's welfare reforms are aimed at ensuring the
:17:00. > :17:04.welfare system will continue to support those in greatest need and
:17:04. > :17:09.that is particularly important in areas of high unemployment. What
:17:09. > :17:13.this government is doing is ensuring that never again can it be
:17:13. > :17:22.said that being out of work pays and being in work does not pay.
:17:22. > :17:28.That is what we are trying to achieve. What discussions as the
:17:28. > :17:33.Minister had with colleagues in the Welsh Assembly to ensure that after
:17:33. > :17:38.devolution, a residence in Wales were still have access to the
:17:39. > :17:42.support and assistance they need? The honourable lady raises an
:17:42. > :17:48.important question. We are having a full consultation with the Welsh
:17:48. > :17:54.Assembly Government. The government told parliament the costs of
:17:54. > :17:57.disability and living allowance will be cut by a 5th or 20%. Can he
:17:57. > :18:07.tell the House what loss of income this may mean to the average
:18:07. > :18:15.
:18:15. > :18:21.claimant in Wales could work --? is absolutely essential that the
:18:21. > :18:26.interests of those in receipt of T L a part protected. This is what
:18:26. > :18:36.the government is doing. The truth is he does not have a clue to the
:18:36. > :18:38.
:18:38. > :18:44.answer of that question. The average reduction would be �14 per
:18:44. > :18:51.week for 125,000 claimants in Wales. A total of �90 million a year pour
:18:51. > :18:57.over �700 each. Does the any -- does he have any idea how it
:18:57. > :19:04.suffering this will cause? The bankers are coining it while the
:19:04. > :19:07.more vulnerable people are being punished. Will the Secretary of
:19:07. > :19:17.State stand up for the people of Wales? Could I remind the right
:19:17. > :19:19.
:19:19. > :19:22.honourable gentleman that the action we are taking was caused
:19:22. > :19:29.because the right honourable gentleman's government destroyed
:19:29. > :19:32.the economy. Hour reforms will ensure those in receipt of D L A
:19:32. > :19:42.will be properly taken care of but we will also make certain that
:19:42. > :19:50.
:19:50. > :19:53.those who can work will work and that work will pay. My right
:19:53. > :19:57.honourable friend continues to have discussions with the Secretary of
:19:57. > :20:02.State for Transport about this matter. The announcement of
:20:02. > :20:12.electrification made on the 1st March is excellent news for all
:20:12. > :20:14.
:20:14. > :20:24.South and south-west Wales. Minister will know of the lack of
:20:24. > :20:24.
:20:24. > :20:34.electric geisha to Swansea. Can it costs be reduced by the convergence
:20:34. > :20:37.
:20:37. > :20:40.of transnational funding. Could services be increased? I commend
:20:40. > :20:47.the effort the right honourable gentleman is making on behalf of
:20:47. > :20:52.his constituents. As he knows and the Secretary of State made clear,
:20:52. > :20:55.the issue of electrification to Swansea is not closed. It is about
:20:55. > :21:01.local government, this government and the need to consider what
:21:01. > :21:10.options can be pursued to ensure we have a litigation of the line to
:21:10. > :21:17.Swansea. We have had a great deal about a electrification, but have
:21:17. > :21:22.you thought about further on. Freight is important on this line.
:21:22. > :21:29.I am very concerned that all the calculations are based on passenger
:21:29. > :21:32.figures. The honourable lady makes an important point. The issue of
:21:32. > :21:42.freight will be something that is taken into account in making the
:21:42. > :21:47.business case for a lecture vocation. -- electrification.
:21:47. > :21:51.Minister will be aware the Secretary of State has offered to
:21:51. > :21:59.resign over high-speed rail going through her constituency. The
:21:59. > :22:08.people of Wales are grateful for the offer but when will the precise
:22:08. > :22:15.date the to trigger it? Order. The question must relate to the subject
:22:15. > :22:21.matter on the order paper not to a question which we have not reached.
:22:21. > :22:31.You may want to refer to the electrification of the Great
:22:31. > :22:32.
:22:32. > :22:36.Western line. Would she be happy to resign over the failure of our
:22:36. > :22:41.electrification of the line to Swansea as she is prepared to
:22:41. > :22:50.resign over the issue of electrification of the line through
:22:50. > :22:57.her constituency? Not one centimetre of electrified line was
:22:57. > :23:03.created in to Wales until this government. My constituents in
:23:03. > :23:09.Bristol will benefit from electrification of the line but
:23:09. > :23:17.they could be real problems to two under capacity. Will you look at
:23:17. > :23:22.those issues? I would mention to the honourable lady that as a
:23:22. > :23:32.consequence of a litigation, the journey times will be reduced by 22
:23:32. > :23:42.
:23:42. > :23:52.minutes. I hope she will welcome The forecast was based on a UK-wide
:23:52. > :23:57.Tata. No regional breakdown is available. We will look at the
:23:57. > :24:06.impact cut ting will have on Welsh workers and their families.
:24:06. > :24:09.Wales, the private sector is dependent on the public sector.
:24:09. > :24:16.the honourable gentleman knows, the set what for Wales was more
:24:16. > :24:19.generous than for many other parts of the United Kingdom. Some cuts of
:24:20. > :24:29.2% in money going down to the Welsh Assembly Government. I would urge
:24:30. > :24:31.
:24:31. > :24:39.him to talk to his friends in the Assembly Government. Dyfed Powys
:24:39. > :24:43.Police have announced this week that there creating 39 police
:24:43. > :24:51.officers for the front line. Will you join in with me in
:24:51. > :24:57.congratulating them for having the correct priorities? In some
:24:57. > :25:00.instances, recruitment is available in the public sector. I meet
:25:00. > :25:09.regularly with the for chief constables in Wales and they are
:25:09. > :25:17.all very positive about their forces. Does she share my concern
:25:17. > :25:23.in relation to the leaked report last week it said seven offices
:25:23. > :25:29.will be close, leaving one in Cardiff. The honourable gentleman
:25:29. > :25:39.should say I met with at HC to discuss the reports in the press.
:25:39. > :25:45.There are no new new announcements about office closures. They assured
:25:45. > :25:55.me when I met them last week that no office closures will lead to job
:25:55. > :25:58.
:25:58. > :26:08.I never took my earlier answer to a question from the Member for
:26:08. > :26:10.
:26:10. > :26:16.Newport West. A higher percentage. My constituents want to know
:26:16. > :26:20.whether -- why the government intends on labouring them
:26:20. > :26:29.scroungers and second-class citizens. That is not a description
:26:29. > :26:34.are a recognised. Endemic unemployment is a problem in the
:26:34. > :26:44.South Wales Valleys. People are unable to work until they get the
:26:44. > :26:48.necessary support. Question number 10. I note the First Minister's
:26:48. > :26:52.statement last week on the priorities for financial reform and
:26:52. > :26:58.accountability but I have had no formal representation on these
:26:58. > :27:06.proposals as yet. Has she had any discussions with the Chief
:27:06. > :27:12.Secretary to the Treasury? As she raised this -- she raised this as
:27:12. > :27:16.an issue before the Welsh Assembly elections. Are people in this
:27:16. > :27:18.government not talking to each other? I am not sure with the
:27:18. > :27:22.honourable debt will get the impression that people in our
:27:22. > :27:26.government do not talk to each other. We talk to each other all
:27:26. > :27:36.the time and I have many meetings with the Chief Secretary to the
:27:36. > :27:50.
:27:50. > :27:53.Treasury and the Chancellor. Number 11. I must welcome the honourable
:27:53. > :27:57.lady's interest in Wales and its economy. The economy is starting to
:27:57. > :28:04.return to growth and I believe we are seeing signs for improvement in
:28:04. > :28:07.employment levels. We have had to make decisions to reduce the
:28:07. > :28:13.massive deficit. Our policies at the right one to restore business
:28:13. > :28:21.confidence and get people into the jobs they need. A order. Too many
:28:21. > :28:31.private conversations taking place in the Chamber. I apologise, I
:28:31. > :28:32.
:28:32. > :28:38.could not here. People are chasing every job vacancy in Wales. Does
:28:38. > :28:44.the Secretary of State believe job creation is a priority? I am afraid
:28:44. > :28:49.I did not catch the whole of the question. I do have to say that the
:28:49. > :28:55.Government recognises it will be the private sector who will lead
:28:55. > :28:59.the improvement in the economy. The latest unemployment statistics
:28:59. > :29:05.reveal there were more people in work and they were less people on
:29:05. > :29:15.the unemployment register in Wales. If the Secretary of State cannot
:29:15. > :29:17.
:29:17. > :29:23.hear the questions, or the noise is too loud. -- the noise is too loud.
:29:23. > :29:33.The private sector is the alleyway to create jobs that are sustainable.
:29:33. > :29:37.
:29:37. > :29:47.Does she agree with any that there would be a great enterprise zone in
:29:47. > :29:48.
:29:48. > :29:55.the Vale of Glamorgan? Once again, I have to say they could have no
:29:55. > :30:05.crater champion. Can I refer him to the Welsh business minister in the
:30:05. > :30:09.
:30:09. > :30:13.The government is currently consulting on a new national high-
:30:13. > :30:16.speed rail network as part of a wider programme of modernisation of
:30:16. > :30:23.the rail network including an education of the Great Western main
:30:23. > :30:28.line to Cardiff. I have heard of trains cancelled because of snow on
:30:28. > :30:34.the line and leaves on the line and never before because of the
:30:34. > :30:40.Secretary of State on the line! The high-speed rail lank would bring
:30:40. > :30:50.great benefits but if the secretary of state won't stand up for Wales,
:30:50. > :30:50.
:30:50. > :30:56.why won't she resign? Can I think the Honourable Lady for her close
:30:56. > :31:01.concern in my career. Can I just say to her that the government is
:31:01. > :31:06.having an open consultation on HS two and now that she has expressed
:31:06. > :31:12.such a great interest in this, I am sure we will expect her
:31:12. > :31:19.representation to the consultation on this very subject. Questions to
:31:19. > :31:23.the Prime Minister. This morning I had meetings with ministerial
:31:23. > :31:31.colleagues and others and in addition to these duties, I shall
:31:31. > :31:34.have further meetings later today. What does my right Hon of a friend
:31:34. > :31:39.say to teachers who are putting the education of children first and the
:31:39. > :31:43.welfare of parents by not striking tomorrow? I would congratulate them
:31:43. > :31:47.for doing the right thing and keeping the school open. I don't
:31:47. > :31:51.believe there is any case for industrial action tomorrow, not
:31:51. > :31:54.least because it talks are still ongoing and it is only a minority
:31:54. > :31:59.of unions who have taken the decision to go ahead and strike but
:31:59. > :32:04.I want to see as many mums and dads as possible people to take their
:32:04. > :32:08.children to school. What I would say is this, what we are proposing
:32:08. > :32:17.is fair, it is fair to taxpayers but it is also fair to the public
:32:17. > :32:24.sector because we want to continue strong public section pensions.
:32:24. > :32:26.Speaker, there are currently 163 statutory organisations within the
:32:26. > :32:31.National Health Service, can the Prime Minister tell us how many
:32:31. > :32:38.there will be after his reorganisation? All I can tell the
:32:38. > :32:44.Honourable just common is that the health reforms that now have the
:32:44. > :32:47.support of the health minister will see a reduction in bureaucracy
:32:47. > :32:53.because we're getting rid of Strategic Health of authorities and
:32:53. > :33:03.getting rid of primate care trusts. Let me give him the answer to the
:33:03. > :33:04.
:33:05. > :33:10.question. The number is going to go up from one London 63-521. Health
:33:10. > :33:15.and well-being boards, shadow commissioning groups, authorised
:33:15. > :33:19.commissioning groups and national commissioning boards, S H A
:33:19. > :33:26.clusters, clinical networks and clinical senates - Mr Speaker, is
:33:26. > :33:32.this what he meant by a bonfire of the quangos? If he looks at the
:33:32. > :33:36.figures and savings, he will see where saving �5 billion through the
:33:36. > :33:39.reduction of bureaucracy. That is what is happening. What we
:33:39. > :33:43.inherited was a situation where the number of managers was going up
:33:43. > :33:47.four times as fast as the number of nurses. What has happened since we
:33:47. > :33:53.took over is the number of doctors has gone up, the number of
:33:53. > :33:56.bureaucrats has gone down. I will tell him about our records on the
:33:56. > :34:06.NHS - more doctors and nurses than ever before, the shortest waiting
:34:06. > :34:09.lists ever and the highest patient satisfaction ever. He says he is
:34:09. > :34:12.going to save money but he has refused to publish the figures
:34:12. > :34:17.accompanying the new amendment to the health bill of how much he is
:34:17. > :34:23.going to spend but maybe he can tell me this, how much is he going
:34:23. > :34:25.to be spending on making NHS staff redundant? Let me give him the
:34:25. > :34:31.figures on the costs and the benefits of reducing the
:34:31. > :34:36.bureaucracy. This is the question he asked. This is the answer he
:34:36. > :34:41.will get. Changes will have a one- off cost of �1.4 billion over the
:34:41. > :34:45.next two years but over �5 billion will be saved in total during this
:34:45. > :34:52.Parliament and over a ten-year period, they will be net savings of
:34:52. > :34:57.�12.3 bn. Add to that the fact that we are putting �11.5 million extra
:34:57. > :35:01.into the NHS and he fought the last election, pledging to cut it.
:35:02. > :35:10.didn't answer the question I asked which was how much is he spending
:35:10. > :35:16.on making NHS staff redundant. The answer is, �852 million. Spent on
:35:16. > :35:21.making NHS staff redundant. Can he guarantee this house that none of
:35:22. > :35:30.those staff will be re hired to do that old jobs by his new quangos?
:35:30. > :35:34.What we are doing is implementing the �20 billion cost savings that
:35:34. > :35:38.were set out by the party opposite when they were in government but
:35:38. > :35:43.the difference is, we are going on with putting more money into the
:35:44. > :35:49.NHS, money that the party obviously doesn't support so they will be
:35:49. > :35:55.more doctors, nurses, operations and a better NHS compared with cuts
:35:55. > :35:59.from the party opposite. Let me just ask the question again because
:35:59. > :36:04.he didn't answer it. People are concerned he is creating a whole
:36:04. > :36:09.new set of quangos, will he tell us this simple question, can he
:36:09. > :36:13.guarantee that none of the people being made redundant will be re
:36:13. > :36:19.hired to do their old jobs at his new quangos? Is a simple question,
:36:19. > :36:22.yes or no? I know he has this extraordinary vision of how the NHS
:36:22. > :36:28.is run but it's not the Prime Minister who has every person in
:36:28. > :36:33.every organisation in the NHS. The difference between this coalition
:36:33. > :36:37.government and the party opposite is, we are investing in the NHS,
:36:37. > :36:40.putting resources into the NHS, reforming the NHS in a way that is
:36:40. > :36:46.supported by the Royal College of Surgeons, the Royal College of
:36:46. > :36:52.Physicians, Tony Blair, most people working in the NHS, but not by the
:36:52. > :36:56.party opposite. Order, the decibel level is far too high. The Prime
:36:56. > :37:01.Minister should not have to shout to make himself heard. The whole
:37:01. > :37:05.country would have heard that he has admitted they are spending �852
:37:05. > :37:13.million on making people redundant at he cannot promise they will not
:37:13. > :37:16.be rehired into their old jobs. He promised no top-down reorganisation,
:37:16. > :37:20.he is doing it. He promised a better deal for patients and things
:37:21. > :37:28.are getting worse. What people are asking abandon this country is what
:37:28. > :37:32.is he doing to our NHS? What the whole country will have noticed is
:37:32. > :37:36.that at a time when people are worried about strikes, he can't ask
:37:37. > :37:42.about strikes because he is in the pocket of the unions. What the
:37:42. > :37:45.whole country would have noticed is that at a time when Greece is
:37:45. > :37:51.spending huge problems over its deficit, he cannot talk about greys
:37:51. > :37:55.because his plan is to make Britain like Greece. What the whole country
:37:55. > :38:00.would have noticed is that at a time when the economy is the key
:38:00. > :38:08.issue, he cannot talk about the economy because of his ludicrous
:38:08. > :38:18.plan for tax cuts. That is what we see week after week. He has to talk
:38:18. > :38:23.
:38:23. > :38:29.about the micro because he cannot talk about the macro. Order, order.
:38:29. > :38:37.Order. I appeal to the house to calm down and reflect on what the
:38:37. > :38:47.public thinks of this sort of behaviour. Would the Prime Minister
:38:47. > :38:52.
:38:52. > :38:57.agree with me that increased spending... By Honourable Friend
:38:57. > :39:05.has a good point and I hope is in order, Mr Speaker, to talk about
:39:05. > :39:10.Labour's record in Wales, because what we're seeing, if anybody wants
:39:10. > :39:16.to know what would happen to the NHS under Labour, they can look at
:39:17. > :39:18.Wales where they are slashing the NHS budget and they are actually
:39:18. > :39:28.seeing more people waiting for longer. That is what happens when
:39:28. > :39:29.
:39:29. > :39:33.you get the Labour Party running the NHS. The leader of the
:39:33. > :39:40.opposition's help to create 300 more jobs in Wrexham earlier this
:39:40. > :39:46.year. But today, because of his government's reversal of policy,
:39:46. > :39:52.the renewable Energy Association say that Solar generation and the
:39:52. > :39:56.jobs and growth linked to it are in turmoil. Who knows better, him or
:39:56. > :40:00.British business? I think anyone looking at what this government is
:40:00. > :40:04.doing in terms of renewable energy can see a massive investment in
:40:04. > :40:09.renewable energy. The �3 billion going into the Green Investment
:40:09. > :40:15.Bank, the massive investment going under the renewable heat initiative,
:40:15. > :40:19.but we had to do was stop the abuse of solar power where clearly the
:40:19. > :40:29.regime it was not set in the right way that anyone at the King of this
:40:29. > :40:33.
:40:33. > :40:38.industry can see a huge boost from this government. Despite the
:40:38. > :40:45.gravity of the financial situation against which the Bank of England
:40:45. > :40:52.is preparing contingency plans, has the government also got at team
:40:52. > :40:59.working on that the details of a new treaty if, as seems probable,
:40:59. > :41:04.the European Union is to be considerably changed? Can I first
:41:04. > :41:08.of all say, on behalf of the whole house, to the father of the house,
:41:08. > :41:15.what great pleasure it gives me to refer to him as the Right
:41:15. > :41:19.Honourable Gentleman. What I would say to him is, we have quite
:41:19. > :41:23.rightly used the opportunity of the new treaty change being put forward
:41:23. > :41:26.to protect Britain's interest and get us out of the bail out
:41:26. > :41:32.mechanism for the future. If new proposals come a long, we could use
:41:32. > :41:37.that opportunity again but I think right now the priority must be to
:41:37. > :41:39.work for stability in the euro-zone, not least because 40% of our
:41:39. > :41:45.exports coat euro-zone countries and Britain is playing a
:41:45. > :41:50.constructive role in making sure that happens. Does the Prime
:41:50. > :41:55.Minister agree that the Deputy Prime Minister that the idea of
:41:55. > :42:04.introducing a marriage tax allowance is patronising?
:42:04. > :42:07.Deputy Prime Minister and I agree about many, many things but it is
:42:07. > :42:12.actually set down in the coalition agreement that this is one area
:42:12. > :42:15.where we do not agree. And a strong supporter of the institution of
:42:15. > :42:21.marriage and I think it would be a good idea to recognise that in the
:42:21. > :42:25.tax system. Last week, six illegal migrant workers were arrested in my
:42:25. > :42:28.constituency, all of whom had National Insurance numbers and were
:42:28. > :42:32.paying National Insurance. Why can't we prevent illegal workers
:42:32. > :42:37.from being issued with national insurance numbers in the first
:42:37. > :42:41.place or at the very least, like those national insurance numbers so
:42:41. > :42:44.order agencies know these people are not allowed to work?
:42:44. > :42:49.Honourable Friend makes a good point and I have discussed this
:42:49. > :42:52.with him. The application process for National Insurance numbers does
:42:52. > :42:56.include an identity check and the precondition that the individual is
:42:56. > :42:59.entitled to work but none the less as his case demonstrates, national
:42:59. > :43:02.insurance numbers should not be issued for those with no
:43:02. > :43:05.entitlement to work but this is happening but we are looking very
:43:05. > :43:12.closely at the idea of marking National Insurance numbers in the
:43:12. > :43:17.way he suggests. At a time when the NHS is in the financial pressure
:43:17. > :43:20.and people in that world are being hit by steep rises in prices,
:43:20. > :43:24.please will the Prime Minister tell me if he agrees with his friends on
:43:24. > :43:29.that side of the House who think costly tax breaks for those who can
:43:29. > :43:39.choose private health care should be a priority? The short answer to
:43:39. > :43:42.
:43:43. > :43:46.that is, no, I don't agree. Prime Minister will be aware that
:43:46. > :43:50.inflation for small businesses is at its highest level for three
:43:50. > :43:55.years. When the Prime Minister recognise that problem but
:43:55. > :44:00.especially tell us what more he can do to increase demand which remains
:44:00. > :44:04.at best very sluggish. I tell the Honourable Gentleman what we have
:44:04. > :44:09.done to help the economy. This year, a key problem for small business is
:44:09. > :44:13.the cost of fuel and be cut fuel duty, abolished the escalator and
:44:13. > :44:17.put of the increase until next year, making the difference of around six
:44:17. > :44:20.pence per gallon, that makes a difference. We also had the Merlin
:44:20. > :44:28.agreement for extra lending for small businesses, we have cut
:44:28. > :44:36.corporation task -- tax for small businesses, this is a very small
:44:36. > :44:39.business friendly environment. years ago, the Prime Minister said
:44:39. > :44:45.that an organisation should be banned immediately. He promised to
:44:45. > :44:53.do that on countless occasions even in his election manifesto. Why has
:44:53. > :44:59.he not done what he has promised to do so on many times? We have taken
:44:59. > :45:04.action against the Taliban, we are looking very carefully at this
:45:04. > :45:10.group, in my view what they have said is way beyond what we believe
:45:10. > :45:13.an illegal organisation should said. Given that Lord Hutton, the former
:45:13. > :45:17.Labour pensions minister has described the current position on
:45:17. > :45:20.public sector pensions as completely untenable, would my
:45:20. > :45:25.Right Honourable Friend agree that it is unacceptable for a small
:45:25. > :45:32.minority of trade unions to be disrupting the position tomorrow
:45:32. > :45:37.for thousands of people across this My honourable friend is absolutely
:45:37. > :45:42.right. It is a small minority of unions which have gone ahead with
:45:42. > :45:49.action. I think it is irresponsible and they do not believe it is fair.
:45:49. > :45:56.We are proposing something which is fair. Lord Hutton, a former Labour
:45:56. > :46:01.minister, has made the simple point that as we live longer, we will
:46:01. > :46:06.have to contribute more to public sector pensions and work for longer.
:46:06. > :46:11.The reason we are doing this is not to undermine public sector pensions
:46:11. > :46:15.but to safeguard good and defined benefit systems for the future.
:46:15. > :46:21.There is a contract between taxpayers and public sector workers.
:46:21. > :46:29.If you work in the public sector then we will support you in old age,
:46:29. > :46:37.but it must be sustainable. arrangements for the repatriation
:46:37. > :46:44.of the bodies of Our servicemen who have been killed on active service.
:46:44. > :46:50.Can he tell the House what arrangements will be put in place
:46:50. > :46:57.to allow the public it to express their condolences and respect?
:46:57. > :47:01.well aware of this issue. A lot of thought has gone into how to do
:47:01. > :47:11.this in the right way. A lot of care and thought has gone into how
:47:11. > :47:14.
:47:14. > :47:22.to look after the families of those who have lost members.
:47:22. > :47:29.constituency is proud to be home of an army barracks. Is it about time
:47:30. > :47:34.that we gave service personnel a priority when it comes to housing?
:47:34. > :47:39.We have put the military Covenant into law for the first time. That
:47:39. > :47:46.makes sure military personnel and not discriminated against. It is
:47:46. > :47:51.right that every council should look at what it can do positively
:47:51. > :47:58.to help those who have served their country. In terms of government
:47:58. > :48:01.policy, we have the new policy to help first-time buyers are to the
:48:01. > :48:06.housing ladder. The Housing Minister is making sure this policy
:48:06. > :48:10.is taken around the different army and military bases to be sure
:48:10. > :48:19.military personnel can take advantage of it. This week is the
:48:19. > :48:23.first anniversary of the backbench committee. Of the last year, does
:48:23. > :48:29.the premises or think Parliament has become better at holding the
:48:29. > :48:35.government to account? Can we offer our help to unlock some of the
:48:35. > :48:38.legislation that is stuck in the pipeline? Let me congratulate the
:48:38. > :48:44.backbench committee over the last year. It has made a difference in
:48:44. > :48:49.Parliament. It is quite right that the House of Commons can choose to
:48:49. > :48:59.debate the subject of its choosing and emotion of its choosing at a
:48:59. > :49:01.
:49:01. > :49:06.time of its choosing. It has been a year of services. It has been a
:49:06. > :49:11.good idea and I would like to take a little bit of credit that it was
:49:11. > :49:21.this government that gave at the power and allowed this to happen.
:49:21. > :49:21.
:49:21. > :49:26.People in Devon earn around �2,000 a year less on average but I will
:49:26. > :49:33.water bills are the highest in the country. Does the Prime Minister
:49:33. > :49:39.agree with me that the option of training quarter affordability and
:49:39. > :49:44.suggest a government subsidy would go a long way to people in the
:49:44. > :49:49.south-west? This issue of excessive water bills has been an issue for
:49:49. > :49:56.many years. I am proud of the fact that within a year, it is this
:49:56. > :50:06.government that has decided to grit this. We pledged to do something
:50:06. > :50:12.about this in the Budget. crisis at Southern Cross has raised
:50:12. > :50:15.fears about the viability of the residential care sector. Will the
:50:15. > :50:23.Minister inject some urgency to the review of companies will provide
:50:23. > :50:27.care services as work we need to stop the elderly worrying about the
:50:27. > :50:33.place they call home. honourable gentleman makes an
:50:33. > :50:35.extremely important point. Members have care homes in our
:50:35. > :50:42.constituencies are we are very concerned about what has happened
:50:42. > :50:48.to Southern Cross care homes. We are following this extremely
:50:48. > :50:55.closely. We do have powers in the health bill to make sure we
:50:55. > :51:02.regulate these providers properly. I believe we are planning for all
:51:02. > :51:12.contingencies in the correct way. Given the high cost of petrol that
:51:12. > :51:13.
:51:13. > :51:20.is crucifying motorists across the country, the fair Fuel campaign is
:51:20. > :51:24.urging prices to be in line with market prices. I would like to see
:51:24. > :51:28.every chance for lower prices to be passed on to the consumer. The
:51:28. > :51:35.government has taken its necessary measures, the 1 p cut in fuel duty
:51:35. > :51:39.this year and the putting off of the fuel increase. The abolition of
:51:40. > :51:43.the fuel escalator which the party opposite put in place. We also took
:51:43. > :51:47.part in the release of oil stocks together with the Americans which
:51:47. > :51:51.has seen the oil price come down for that we need to make sure we
:51:51. > :52:01.have a good competitive sector that passes on price cuts across the
:52:01. > :52:06.
:52:06. > :52:15.country. As the review of a passenger fuel duty... Given the
:52:15. > :52:24.APD is levied at �120 on a long- haul flight, companies in the Irish
:52:24. > :52:31.Republic only have a levy of 3 euros. Something must be done.
:52:31. > :52:36.know the. The honourable gentleman makes. They do understand, I went
:52:36. > :52:40.to Northern Ireland and people explain the importance of
:52:40. > :52:45.maintaining the direct link between Northern Ireland and the United
:52:45. > :52:53.States. My right honourable friend the Chancellor has spoken to people
:52:54. > :52:58.in Northern Ireland and we are reviewing the options. My right
:52:58. > :53:03.honourable friend will be aware that Lord Bates is walking from
:53:03. > :53:07.Olympia to London, some 4,000 buyers, to raise awareness of the
:53:07. > :53:13.Olympic truce. With the Prime Mr ensure that when the United Kingdom
:53:13. > :53:20.government tables its resolution for observance of the Olympic truce
:53:20. > :53:23.to the General Assembly later this year, we will add specific
:53:23. > :53:33.proposals to peace and reconciliation to maximise this
:53:33. > :53:34.
:53:34. > :53:41.opportunity to strike I am sure the whole house would like to
:53:41. > :53:50.congratulate the Lord on his great feat. We will put pressure on the
:53:50. > :53:55.United Nations to continue with the great truce for the Olympic Games.
:53:55. > :54:01.The Foreign and Commonwealth Office at engaging with our embassies
:54:01. > :54:05.worldwide. Will parents up and down the land be horrified to know about
:54:05. > :54:12.the proposals are the Protection Bill. A person convicted of rating
:54:12. > :54:18.a child will not automatically be put on the bad list from working
:54:18. > :54:21.with children in the future? have removed a huge number of
:54:21. > :54:31.people who are not a risk to children but we have to make sure
:54:31. > :54:36.the system works well. Does the Prime Minister believe the drugs
:54:36. > :54:42.policy has been failing for decades and does he agree the government
:54:42. > :54:45.should initiate a discussion for alternative ways including the
:54:45. > :54:51.possibility of legalisation and regulation to tackle the problem
:54:51. > :54:56.was a work I do not believe we should be legalising any drugs that
:54:56. > :55:01.are currently criminal. I do believe the drugs policy has been a
:55:01. > :55:07.failure over recent years. There has been insufficient attention to
:55:07. > :55:11.education, warning people about the dangers of drugs, and treatment. We
:55:11. > :55:15.need a more effective treatment system and in this country, we have
:55:15. > :55:20.spent too much time on heroin replacement and methadone rather
:55:20. > :55:25.than trying to get people clean and clear up all the things in their
:55:25. > :55:30.lives that brought them to take drugs in the first place. Has the
:55:30. > :55:40.Prime Minister himself been involved in seeking resolutions to
:55:40. > :55:43.
:55:43. > :55:49.the problems in Sudan? Given the United Nations concern about 60,000
:55:49. > :55:55.people being displaced, where he used his influence to make shock
:55:56. > :56:00.north and south are seen to work together? We are deeply involved in
:56:01. > :56:05.trying to seek a successful outcome to the process. We find a lot of
:56:05. > :56:13.the talk process that has been going. The Foreign Secretary has
:56:13. > :56:17.visited the country as has the Africa Minister. We try to make
:56:17. > :56:27.sure there is a peaceful settlement between the two countries. That is
:56:27. > :56:36.
:56:36. > :56:46.a lot more to do. What is the premise there think about Labour's
:56:46. > :56:52.smash-and-grab plan for pension funds? I think they're honourable
:56:52. > :56:57.friends -- Friend makes a good point. Not a squeak from the party
:56:57. > :57:01.opposite about strikes, pensions or the need for reforms. Because they
:57:02. > :57:09.are paid for by the trade unions, they cannot talk about this issue.
:57:09. > :57:19.But the Coalition government is doing is right. We want to have a
:57:19. > :57:25.defined benefits system. We were to be sure the rights are kept. To put
:57:25. > :57:32.it beyond doubt, for those people in a final salary scheme, when they
:57:32. > :57:36.get the improved benefits, they will be based on their final salary
:57:36. > :57:40.when they retire. There has been so much myth and misinformation put
:57:40. > :57:49.around by those in the trade unions. It is important to put on the
:57:49. > :57:53.records here in the House. Over a consigned period last year, crime
:57:53. > :58:03.overall in London is up. There has been a rise in a robbery and
:58:03. > :58:05.
:58:05. > :58:10.burglary. Is this the right time to be cutting police officers? Overall,
:58:10. > :58:15.crime is falling. It is falling according to the British crime
:58:15. > :58:19.Survey and the police reported crime statistics. We're helping
:58:19. > :58:24.people across the country, including London, to deal with
:58:24. > :58:31.crime. We have introduced crime maps police commissioners to make
:58:31. > :58:34.sure we have the proper power. Let me bring him up to date with
:58:34. > :58:40.Operation target which is running at the moment in the Metropolitan
:58:40. > :58:45.Police. On average, 1,200 officers are deployed every day. They have
:58:45. > :58:55.been 4,000 different activities and 2,000 arrests. There has been a
:58:55. > :58:57.
:58:57. > :59:00.drop in offences from week to week. Serious violence is have seen a
:59:00. > :59:10.drop. They do not like an answer when we can show the police are
:59:10. > :59:17.
:59:17. > :59:22.doing their job. By 8th June 1944, a relative of mine was shot down
:59:22. > :59:32.while taking supplies to the French Resistance. Will my right
:59:32. > :59:37.honourable friend agree with me that it is right and proper that we
:59:37. > :59:44.will remember those who gave their lives in the fight against Nazi
:59:44. > :59:51.tyranny was what there is a lot of work going on to make sure people
:59:51. > :59:55.are being remembered. It is a brilliant thing how well the
:59:55. > :00:05.cemeteries in Normandy at kept. Relatives can visit and see their
:00:05. > :00:09.
:00:09. > :00:15.fallen heroes. During the last Labour government, elderly people
:00:15. > :00:18.saw their quality of life improve things to measures. What message
:00:18. > :00:28.does the Prime Minister have for the women in this country who now
:00:28. > :00:28.
:00:29. > :00:38.see their daughters having to work longer for less money? Some have
:00:38. > :00:42.less money to put in their pensions This government is actually
:00:42. > :00:46.reforming pensions so we will be paying a more generous state
:00:46. > :00:51.retirement pension. Because of the triple lock, someone retiring today
:00:51. > :00:56.will be �15,000 better off than they would have been under the
:00:56. > :01:00.plans we inherited. Link into that, we have kept the free bus pass, the
:01:00. > :01:09.free television licence, the other three pensioner benefits of I
:01:09. > :01:13.believe we're doing fair by Britain's pensioners. He alluded to
:01:13. > :01:16.the contracts between taxpayers and public servants. Does he agree with
:01:16. > :01:22.me that we should be in the vanguard of reforming our own
:01:22. > :01:26.pensions so we can look our public sector constituents in the face?
:01:26. > :01:29.absolutely agree with the Honourable Lady in this house, we
:01:29. > :01:34.are public sector workers as well and we should be subject to exactly
:01:34. > :01:38.the same changes were asking others to take on. The increase in
:01:38. > :01:42.contributions should apply to the MP system even though it is a
:01:42. > :01:45.system where we already pay in quite a lot. We are saying right
:01:45. > :01:52.across the board, the increase in pension contributions is right to
:01:52. > :02:00.create a healthier long-term system. The speaker brings an end to
:02:00. > :02:05.Question Time. David Cameron attacked over the government's NHS
:02:05. > :02:14.reforms in England by Ed Miliband, responding with an attack on the
:02:14. > :02:17.Welsh government's stewardship of the NHS in Wales.
:02:17. > :02:25.We have spent a pleasant hour watching the television and did it
:02:25. > :02:31.mentioned the row over the NHS. David, the strikes is what we were
:02:31. > :02:37.talking about before that, David Cameron mentioned many times that
:02:37. > :02:41.Ed Miliband didn't have much to say on it. I am disappointed David
:02:41. > :02:43.Cameron tried to the little relationship between the trade
:02:43. > :02:47.unions and the party representatives and that he
:02:47. > :02:52.actually focused on the strike itself and not on the reasons for
:02:52. > :02:57.the strike and on the issues of the fact that the unions were asking
:02:57. > :03:03.for some form of proper negotiation and not being curtailed. David
:03:03. > :03:07.Cameron said that talks are ongoing, you don't accept that? Talks are
:03:07. > :03:10.ongoing but when you are constrained by comments from the
:03:10. > :03:15.Treasury saying there is a decision to be made, there is no negotiation
:03:15. > :03:25.there. Ed Miliband said he is opposed to the strikes. He didn't
:03:25. > :03:29.
:03:29. > :03:34.say that, what he said was, he felt there was a mistake. You'll find
:03:34. > :03:37.that the Labour Party members are supportive of the views and
:03:37. > :03:41.positions of the unions in this respect and the members, because
:03:41. > :03:45.the members voted, not the unions, and they had to decide as to
:03:45. > :03:50.whether this action was necessary because there was no movement by
:03:50. > :03:54.the government in those negotiations. Mark, what did she
:03:54. > :03:58.make of David Cameron was a performance? A thought it was
:03:58. > :04:02.robust and fair, obviously it was very noisy chamber so shutting was
:04:02. > :04:10.required but on this particular issue, I think he highlighted the
:04:10. > :04:14.key points. It is premature clamour, clearly, when the government are
:04:14. > :04:18.negotiating, people mixed it was publicly but negotiations must
:04:18. > :04:24.continue nonetheless. I had children in school and a
:04:25. > :04:28.granddaughter in school and it will be a massive destruction. My own
:04:28. > :04:32.daughter works full-time and for hundreds of thousands who earned a
:04:32. > :04:37.similar position. I fear sometimes that not all the accurate
:04:37. > :04:42.information is getting out there. Lord Hutton is and former Labour
:04:42. > :04:48.minister and should be seen as being of non party-political in his
:04:48. > :04:51.recommendations. Part of the remit he was giving was that accrued
:04:51. > :04:54.rights would be protected for people who had been in the scheme
:04:54. > :04:59.previously. We should also recognise that in most private
:04:59. > :05:05.schemes, people don't get the pensions until they are 65 were as
:05:05. > :05:08.in public schemes, people get their pensions at 60. Talking about the
:05:08. > :05:13.degree of equality here, recognising that thankfully, people
:05:13. > :05:17.are living longer but the consequence of that is that were
:05:17. > :05:20.pension funds the longer fund the demands, changes have to be made,
:05:20. > :05:26.it is something that any government would have had to do, including
:05:26. > :05:32.Labour if they were in government today.
:05:32. > :05:36.The row over the NHS was along the lines of the debate in the Assembly
:05:36. > :05:41.election over what both of your party's we do in terms of spending
:05:41. > :05:46.on the NHS. There was an attack on David Cameron saying that Labour
:05:46. > :05:52.had slashed spending on the NHS and people waiting longer for
:05:52. > :05:55.operations. In reality, I am more than happy for people to come to
:05:56. > :06:00.Wales to look at the NHS because you just have to go back to the BMJ
:06:00. > :06:05.and the GPs, 86% of GPs in Wales have suggested they would rather
:06:05. > :06:09.work in Wales and England under the terms system. There is complete
:06:09. > :06:13.turmoil in the NHS at the moment whereas in Wales, we're clearly
:06:13. > :06:18.going forward in the right direction so I am more than happy
:06:18. > :06:23.to say, come and look at us. you happy to say David Cameron
:06:23. > :06:30.helping out your argument in attacking the Labour than NHS here
:06:30. > :06:33.in what was? Yes, it wasn't Ed Miliband was no question about cuts
:06:33. > :06:38.in jobs and as he said, had the Labour government stayed in power
:06:38. > :06:43.at Westminster, they would have put the NHS significantly more in real
:06:43. > :06:48.terms were as the present government is protecting the budget
:06:48. > :06:52.in real terms. Because we have an ageing population of because of
:06:52. > :06:58.improving technology and medicines, the cost is none the less going up
:06:58. > :07:01.so savings still have to be found. In Wales, we had �430 million cut
:07:01. > :07:05.out in the last year of the previous Assembly by the previous
:07:05. > :07:09.Labour lead was government and �1 billion at being cut in the next
:07:09. > :07:13.three years, that is bound to have significant impact on all the key
:07:13. > :07:18.services. We're already seeing waiting lists going up and the fear
:07:18. > :07:22.and worry is that we're going to see the Welsh NHS fall behind those
:07:22. > :07:29.in Scotland, England and Northern Ireland, all who have protected
:07:29. > :07:32.their budget in real terms. Cheryl Gillan said Carwyn Jones had
:07:32. > :07:37.confirmed there would be an enterprise zone in Wales, we
:07:37. > :07:44.haven't got a lot of time but where would you like to see one in North
:07:44. > :07:48.Wales? The centre of the West Wales and the valleys area. It is the
:07:48. > :07:56.poorest area in terms of wealth creation and economic activity.
:07:56. > :08:01.We're talking about the for north- west Counties and there are two
:08:01. > :08:11.regeneration areas there, one in the West and one in Rome on the
:08:11. > :08:13.
:08:13. > :08:16.coastal strip. Where would you like to see one? I think the previous
:08:16. > :08:18.approaches to enterprise zones didn't work so we are looking at
:08:18. > :08:23.whether we should have enterprise zone cluster areas and I think the
:08:23. > :08:27.way in which we need to look at this is, how to want to achieve
:08:27. > :08:31.growth, not simply a place for someone to come in, get money and
:08:31. > :08:35.they have won quickly. There is a debate to be discussed first as to
:08:35. > :08:41.what they will actually be achieving. Do you welcome the idea
:08:41. > :08:44.of them if they can be channelled properly? The idea of supporting
:08:44. > :08:48.businesses to come in, used the opportunity to produce it
:08:48. > :08:51.manufacturing or development, a feat of that to create growth is
:08:51. > :08:55.always welcome but it's important that we get it right for
:08:55. > :09:01.sustainability purposes. Back in the Eighties, people came in, took
:09:01. > :09:06.the funding available and left and didn't grow the sustainability of
:09:06. > :09:09.the were there to see. I'm sure you're aware of the ongoing contest
:09:09. > :09:11.to become the next leader of the last Conservative group here in the
:09:11. > :09:14.assembly and if you're not, pay attention.
:09:14. > :09:17.There are two candidates to succeed Nick Bourne who lost his seat at
:09:17. > :09:21.the Assembly election in May. They are Nick Ramsay, the Monmouth AM
:09:21. > :09:31.and Andrew R T Davies who represents South Wales Central. I
:09:31. > :09:34.
:09:34. > :09:41.have spent five minutes chatting to each of them.
:09:41. > :09:43.Welcome, I will put five minutes on the clock. You want to be the
:09:43. > :09:47.leader of the Welsh Conservative group here in the Assembly, what
:09:47. > :09:52.makes a good leader? Someone who is prepared to listen, to work with
:09:52. > :09:57.the team around them but above all, is prepared to project the values
:09:57. > :10:01.of the party, the organisation that they want to lead. It is all those
:10:01. > :10:04.attributes coming together, projection, listening, learning and
:10:04. > :10:08.developing the compact policies that you need to make sure you are
:10:08. > :10:13.projecting what you group wants. lot of people watching this may not
:10:13. > :10:19.have heard of you, if you had to tell them one thing about yourself,
:10:19. > :10:22.what would it be? I am open and honest. That was very direct. Your
:10:22. > :10:28.background before politics, he worked on a family farm, in
:10:28. > :10:32.business, what does that give like being the leader of the official
:10:33. > :10:37.opposition? It is important that I have a grounding outside politics
:10:38. > :10:41.because politics is about what you can give to public life. I had 22
:10:41. > :10:45.years outside this building, I am still actively involved in family
:10:45. > :10:48.business and believe we have drawn on those experiences when you come
:10:48. > :10:52.into public life because public life should be about what you can
:10:52. > :10:59.put into it, not what you did out of it and hopefully, I can draw on
:10:59. > :11:02.that experience, the experience I have had in the Assembly here, in
:11:02. > :11:08.education and health, and working with the dynamic and talented team
:11:09. > :11:14.to make sure we go for. You live in the Vale of Glamorgan, have done on
:11:14. > :11:17.your life? Yes and born there as well. In the last couple of weeks,
:11:17. > :11:22.since you have been putting herself forward as leader, you have been
:11:22. > :11:28.all over the country, how has that been? Not just the last couple of
:11:28. > :11:38.weeks, I have taken my portfolio seriously and I have gone all over.
:11:38. > :11:38.
:11:38. > :11:42.I went to every district hospital, I went to three hospices in every
:11:42. > :11:46.region of wheels and also now a, this leadership battle has kicked
:11:46. > :11:51.up a gear because yesterday the run up bills again, the big before we
:11:51. > :11:54.were in mid-Wales and tonight we are in Penarth doing an event and
:11:54. > :12:02.on Wednesday night, we're in Swansea so every part of Wales, we
:12:03. > :12:03.have been two and spoken to members and members of the public. Having
:12:04. > :12:07.learned anything about yourself? you always learn, you never shut
:12:07. > :12:13.the book on the life skills. I would like to think that every day
:12:13. > :12:17.I get up, I go to bed having picked up a new idea and hopefully
:12:17. > :12:22.corrected some poorer traits. made a big play of your family in a
:12:22. > :12:29.campaign, you have four children, so six are due at home, how do you
:12:29. > :12:34.manage to keep control on everyone, are you the leader there? I just
:12:34. > :12:39.informed people of to Andrew Davies is. With respect, you said, many
:12:39. > :12:42.people might not know you. In this process, you just inform people
:12:42. > :12:46.about your background, what your family circumstances are and where
:12:46. > :12:50.you are going to be taking the ideas and values that the members
:12:50. > :12:54.or general public hold deer and certainly that six of us at home,
:12:54. > :12:58.all the children at various stages of education and my wife, a key
:12:58. > :13:05.part of what we try to do as a family, because I think much of
:13:05. > :13:11.what I achieve, I could not achieve without my family. Are you the boss
:13:11. > :13:17.though at home? No, I don't think you could say that. We reach
:13:17. > :13:21.decisions by agreement because ultimately, each one of us in my
:13:21. > :13:26.family have a view, have an opinion and ultimately, you don't try to
:13:26. > :13:31.dictate to people and certainly in the family atmosphere, especially
:13:31. > :13:34.my eldest daughter, she would be due in your place! I like to dig we
:13:34. > :13:40.have a happy mix. If you win the election had become leader of the
:13:40. > :13:44.opposition, that means a lot of work. You would probably see less
:13:44. > :13:52.of your family and now? I have never been frightened of work, I
:13:52. > :13:55.think you have to get on to get on in life. You have to do one and 10%.
:13:55. > :13:59.Hopefully I will gain the support of the party, I have support from
:13:59. > :14:03.the Assembly group and above all, I've got the support of a family
:14:03. > :14:08.because without that, it's a very challenging environment. Beyond
:14:08. > :14:15.politics and the family, what else do you like doing? I am chairman of
:14:16. > :14:21.the Assembly rugby club. I actually practise that and play in matches.
:14:21. > :14:27.I love working on the farm, they don't look at that as work, is a
:14:27. > :14:30.pastime. I just love spending time with a family because having six of
:14:30. > :14:34.us in the family unit, we'll have different ideas and things we want
:14:34. > :14:43.to do so no weekend is the same, were always doing something
:14:43. > :14:46.different. The clock has beaten us, that was great!
:14:46. > :14:49.Within the next 48 hours, the European Commission is expected to
:14:49. > :14:52.set out how it wants to spend its multi-billion-pound budget until
:14:52. > :14:55.the end of the decade. It's almost certain that the poorest parts
:14:55. > :14:58.Wales will yet again qualify for the highest levels of support but
:14:58. > :15:01.with the UK and other member states facing years of spending cuts, it
:15:01. > :15:07.seems that both the European Commission and Parliament want more
:15:07. > :15:10.spending power. We caught up with Professor Kevin Morgan in Brussels
:15:10. > :15:18.to assess the mood ahead of the publication of the European
:15:18. > :15:25.Commission's draft financial The most powerful sentiment here
:15:25. > :15:31.this week is the sense of austerity. Everybody's Budget is under
:15:31. > :15:36.pressure. They are looking to see where they can make cuts for the
:15:36. > :15:40.next programme in period and changing priorities. We were no
:15:40. > :15:44.soul with those priorities lie. It is already clear to me that some of
:15:44. > :15:49.the traditional priorities we have known in the past, spending on
:15:49. > :15:54.infrastructure for example, those verities have been devalued and new
:15:54. > :15:59.priorities such as innovation and skills and the environment are
:15:59. > :16:03.being prioritised. Even more that they have been in the past. If you
:16:03. > :16:09.think back home, the traditional division between Cardiff and the
:16:09. > :16:15.valleys, we need to overcome that. We need to create a shared destiny.
:16:15. > :16:20.City regions there is one of the big priorities. When it comes to
:16:20. > :16:26.West Wales and the valleys, does that create a problem for Wales if
:16:26. > :16:29.the concentration will be on cities that would be simply do not have
:16:29. > :16:35.the population base of the geography to match those
:16:35. > :16:40.aspirations? The in deed. We have never really tapped the potential
:16:40. > :16:47.of our cities in Wales. The role of Swansea, Newport and Cardiff and
:16:47. > :16:53.Wrexham, these urban it is neat to be harnessed more. A lot of people
:16:53. > :16:59.from rural areas work in the cities. They live in a rural location but
:16:59. > :17:04.they work in an urban location. The Commission is keen to try to build
:17:04. > :17:14.flowers between these two traditional territorial regions.
:17:14. > :17:20.We're still not making the most of our European funds. One answer is
:17:20. > :17:28.levels of GDP catching up. But we have been going in the other
:17:28. > :17:35.direction. What is going on there? The overall impact seems to be not
:17:35. > :17:39.a positive one necessarily? prosperity league table is not
:17:39. > :17:45.changing for us in Wales. We are in receipt of all these European
:17:45. > :17:54.programmes. The European regional policies are one small part of the
:17:54. > :17:59.wider economic picture. Factories are closing. Despite funds coming
:17:59. > :18:04.in, it will not show was going up the prosperity league table. We
:18:04. > :18:08.need to handle these fans in a more agile way and where we get more
:18:08. > :18:14.bang for our back. We're not doing that so far and we need to raise
:18:14. > :18:19.our game. The commission officials are very worried about the lack of
:18:19. > :18:24.involvement of the private sector across the European region. We have
:18:24. > :18:28.to do better in was to harness the energy and the idea and the
:18:28. > :18:38.creativity of the private sector. There is no one sector that until
:18:38. > :18:43.this alone. Let us see what our guests make of what he had to say.
:18:43. > :18:52.What do you make of the fact that this money will be available to
:18:52. > :18:57.Wales again? Is it a double edged sword? We must get more bang for
:18:57. > :19:03.our back. We have had to tranches of money already designed to close
:19:03. > :19:13.the gap. Wales in the European context was one of the poorest
:19:13. > :19:18.
:19:18. > :19:28.regions in Europe. We are talking about �6.5 billion in March funding.
:19:28. > :19:30.
:19:30. > :19:34.We have stayed at the bottom and we have slipped further behind. What
:19:34. > :19:42.do you think that says about what the Government has done with the
:19:42. > :19:49.money? It says everything. We need to be innovative and unleash the
:19:49. > :19:55.private sector. We need to create the jobs and create sustainable
:19:55. > :20:03.investment. You have some experience with using these funds
:20:03. > :20:10.to develop skills. If you listen to the, by Kevin Morgan, he stated
:20:10. > :20:14.there were other factors add that we had projects that were widely
:20:14. > :20:19.recognised as good project. Some of the projects we have been doing our
:20:19. > :20:25.long term. Some aim to increase skills so that we can put into
:20:25. > :20:31.place a workforce to take on more jobs. It is a wider and longer
:20:31. > :20:40.picture than it can be seen in the figures. We have heard from Andrew
:20:40. > :20:44.RT Davies, let us hear what Nick Ramsay had to say. What up to five
:20:44. > :20:47.minutes with the clumsy. We have five minutes on the clock. We are
:20:47. > :20:54.off. He went to the leader of the Welsh Conservative group, what
:20:54. > :20:58.makes a good leader? An ability to listen and to learn from what you
:20:58. > :21:01.have heard people telling you. We need to put a good team of people
:21:01. > :21:06.together to carry out the vision which you and your team have. That
:21:06. > :21:12.is essential. Listening is keen to this. I have been saying that to my
:21:12. > :21:15.party members, alas we learnt to listen better we will not make the
:21:15. > :21:21.progress we want to. A lot of people will be watching this would
:21:21. > :21:31.do not know all you or Andrew RT Davies are. If you add the one
:21:31. > :21:35.
:21:35. > :21:39.thing about yourself, what would it be? I hope people know who I am. I
:21:39. > :21:43.am a Listener, somebody who has been an Assembly members first 2007.
:21:43. > :21:47.I have been in politics for 10 years. I did not intend to be a
:21:47. > :21:54.politician when I was in his university. I did a stint as a
:21:54. > :22:00.driving instructor. Before that, I was in a university in Cardiff and
:22:00. > :22:08.do run. I attended Union Society debate. I listen to a range of
:22:08. > :22:11.political views from across the spectrum. I do not the UN thudded
:22:11. > :22:17.to go for the leadership before the election because you did not expect
:22:17. > :22:24.a vacancy. How has this changed your life? If I get this job, it
:22:24. > :22:29.will change my life more than the it has changed. This has given me
:22:29. > :22:34.an opportunity to reconnect with the people who put me here at to
:22:34. > :22:38.reconnect with the public beyond. It is important that we are seen as
:22:38. > :22:44.a party that makes policies in response to where we are in modern
:22:44. > :22:51.Wales. Too many people say we do not know what politics is about and
:22:51. > :22:55.why it is their. I see it as my mission at my job to explain to
:22:55. > :23:02.people how politics can benefit them. If I could do my own little
:23:02. > :23:05.bit, it will help with the political process. When you are not
:23:05. > :23:11.charging around the country try to get people to vote for you, what do
:23:11. > :23:16.you do? It seems I have been campaigning for months. We had the
:23:16. > :23:22.Assembly referendum and the election and now the leadership
:23:22. > :23:26.contest. I relax, I enjoy every day and the usual things. I like
:23:26. > :23:30.switching off for that they live in the middle of the countryside. I
:23:31. > :23:36.like walking. I'd like doing all those things people do. I do not
:23:36. > :23:42.get much time for myself as I used to put up at the moment, it is keen
:23:42. > :23:48.-- key for me to be out there. I like to chill and spent time with
:23:48. > :23:57.my family. We know you like a pub quiz. I do get passionate about
:23:57. > :24:01.quizzes. It is a way of engaging with people. I am a very visible
:24:01. > :24:06.Assembly Member in my constituency. That is one of the reasons I have
:24:06. > :24:15.managed to win the Monmouth seat twice. I have no apologies for
:24:15. > :24:22.playing a full part in community life. Do you win often? Not as much
:24:22. > :24:27.as I would like. It is about trivia, not about knowledge of what you do
:24:27. > :24:29.in your day job. I like the fact that it enables you to get in touch
:24:29. > :24:37.with people and to engage with people that is not the normal way
:24:37. > :24:42.that happens here in the Assembly. Of I am always reading up in books
:24:42. > :24:46.so I hope they are not caught out in future. It has cut back to your
:24:46. > :24:53.previous career, you were a driving instructor. People will think he is
:24:53. > :24:57.a real person. What does it an experience like that the view?
:24:57. > :25:03.was certainly a valuable experience teaching people to drive. It gave
:25:03. > :25:11.me the ability to engage with people in a very stressful
:25:11. > :25:18.environment on their level. For you or there? Both. In a couple of
:25:18. > :25:26.seconds you have to decide quickly how to deal with the situation. I
:25:26. > :25:36.enjoyed meeting people from all backgrounds. It was an era in
:25:36. > :25:38.
:25:38. > :25:43.Torfaen. I have managed to it sway many of my former friends into the
:25:43. > :25:49.Conservative way of thinking. I come from a traditional Labour area.
:25:49. > :25:55.Time is up. We are out of 10, 5 you very much. But was Nick Ramsay. It
:25:55. > :26:00.is a busy day with questions to the environment and heritage ministers
:26:00. > :26:09.in the Assembly today. They will be a debate on standards. You can find
:26:09. > :26:15.it more on Democracy Live. Before we go, we will stay with education
:26:15. > :26:20.for a final chat with my guests. Leighton Andrews will make a speech
:26:20. > :26:24.this evening to say there is at an acceptable amount of
:26:24. > :26:33.underperformance in primary and secondary schools and immediate and
:26:33. > :26:37.specialist report -- support is required. David, Leighton Andrews
:26:37. > :26:45.has been very vocal about what he needs to do to improve educational
:26:45. > :26:55.standards. Do you think he's going the right way about it was work he
:26:55. > :26:57.
:26:57. > :27:07.said that 20 points -- he said that 20 points in February and he is
:27:07. > :27:09.
:27:09. > :27:13.going about it. I think it is a bit of a cheek for the Liberal
:27:13. > :27:20.Democrats to make these comments were considering what is happening
:27:20. > :27:24.in Westminster. We will get the information when he updates the
:27:25. > :27:32.Assembly. What do you make of that it. But he is waiting -- making a
:27:32. > :27:39.speech rather than talking this afternoon? They have been so many
:27:39. > :27:49.damning reports. If you look at the agenda for this afternoon, there
:27:49. > :27:50.
:27:51. > :27:58.are a number of debates on school, education. In terms of what he will
:27:58. > :28:07.say tonight, he did the interview with BBC Wales this morning.
:28:07. > :28:17.Immediate action jumps off the page, specialist support. Is that the
:28:17. > :28:17.
:28:17. > :28:24.right way? It depends. We have had the rhetoric that 13 years. We are
:28:24. > :28:29.where we are. It must be a working partnership with the education
:28:29. > :28:36.sector and with schools and parents. It should that be civil servants in
:28:36. > :28:46.Cardiff Bay imposing targets and putting curriculum remits upon
:28:46. > :28:50.
:28:50. > :28:55.teachers. We have had the rhetoric for 13 years as Max said, is this
:28:55. > :29:02.Labour's last opportunity to get a grip with this? It is an
:29:02. > :29:07.opportunity to move forward with this. He will see they are not
:29:07. > :29:11.civil servants but experts in the fields that are appointed. It is
:29:11. > :29:16.going in the right direction. We are speaking to the right people